Wisteria
by Geri Zacarias
Summary: "Fear, when it takes root in your heart is almost impossible to remove. It takes hold of you, destroying you." "Don't be silly Naib. It's fear that keeps us safe. It's what keeps us human. "
1. Principium

If Naib Subedar could be profiled with one word, it would have been persistent. He was the type of person who would never back down from anything, always pushing through, even when all seems to be lost. In his eyes, there is nothing more cowardly than running away and giving up.

"Never lose hope and never leave anyone behind Naib. We are put in this world to help each other." That was one of the last things his father had said before he disappeared, perhaps that is why he clung to it desperately, living the words in his own way.

He would always go out of his way to distract the enemies hoping to give his comrades an edge in the battle, darting between them, too quick to catch. He would always be the last one to leave the fields, dodging blades and seeking cover from the rain of bullets as he tried to carry his wounded brothers back to safety.

"You know they will return to battle after being saved, don't you?" One of his brother in arms told him one time. "You should stop putting your life at risk all the time Naib."

"Companions are very important Kiero. Never forget that no matter what." He replied.

He gave him a sad smile. "I wish I was brave as you."

The compliment rang empty in his ears, he didn't feel brave at the moment. He felt terrified. Every single minute he spent here, felt like the last. Nightmares plague him most of the time, and he would wake screaming and sweating as images of blood and tears flashed in his mind. Sometimes he would dream of his first kill, or the time his partner died, shielding him from a knife to the heart. Those were always the worst, and he liked to cope by sticking his hand in some sand and pretend he was baking bread with his mother at home.

The years he spent working for the East India company were the most taxing moments of his life, and as a retired mercenary, his life was built on risks.

Perhaps that is why he struggle so much to adapt to his new life.

It had been a year before he finally decided to turn his back on being a mercenary, his hate of war reaching a peak and his beliefs of equality shining amongst the smoke and gunshots like a beacon. He believed that he could do better, so he turned and left, starting anew as a baker in the Campbell family's shop.

The pay was alright, but it was nothing compared to what he earned back then. But the worst thing was the utter quiet and boredom of everything. He would be left alone in the scorching kitchen, accompanied by nothing but the soft hums of the oven or the occassional squeaking of hungry mice who he would then have to chase out.

He usually spent his time in the quiet dwelling on his choices, debating whether all the twists and turns he made in his life were correct. He frowned as he sprinkled flour on the marble counter, unwanted thoughts rising on the surface of his mind.

_You couldn't save them.__You shouldn't be here. You should've died with them.__All you ever gave your mother was grief. _

His hand gripped the counter's edge. He hated it. He hated how they are right, hated that he is here right now, forcing himself to make sour dough just to earn enough to fill their bellies.

He pounded the dough violently. Despite his better judgement, he found himself missing the action of the battlefield, the adrenaline it would give him. But most of all, he missed the gold. What he is earning here in a month, he could easily make in a day. Wiping the sweat beading on his brow, he shook his head angrily. He vowed never to go back to that life, else it would ruin him.

That night as he laid in bed, he wished that everything would be different once he opened his eyes. He wished that his father was still here to take care of his mother and him. He amused himself by dreaming of winning the lottery, where they would have enough money to make sure that his mother would live a good life.

'_I would buy a mansion by the sea. '_ He thought. '_I'll get a dozen dogs and a sailboat to fish. ' _

But he knew it wouldn't happen, so he closed his eyes and forced himself to sleep. The warm evening breeze wafted in his small bedroom window, and he wished that he would be anywhere but here.

Dawn broke the next morning, and golden beams of sunlight illuminated the specks of dust floating around. Naib woke up out of breath, he had a bad dream. Of what, he could not remember but whatever it was, it was enough to send a sliver of fear down his spine.

Detangling himself from his blanket, he immediately felt something was amiss. Everything looked the same, tidy as always, but now something was there that wasn't the night before. On his nightstand was an envelope stamped with a bright red wax seal.

Naib inspected it with calloused fingers, finding no address or recipient, just three words written in loopy, cursive writing.

"**_To Naib Subedar_**"

He opened the letter and scanned its contents.

His mind raced, '_Promises of riches you could only imagine, and your one true wish._' He put the letter back on the nightstand. '_What would be my wish?'_ he thought.

His answer seems a bit childish for him, but he would give anything just to have his father back.

'_A game, that was what it all said. All I have to do is win this game and then I can have my heart's desire_.' he thought.

And so after what seems like an hour debating with himself, he packed his bag and headed out into the sun, in search for Oletus Manor.


	2. Adventus

It had been a while since he had arrived. Oletus manor itself was extravagant, stretching across acres of land. A large, unkempt garden sprawled on its grounds, the greenery threatening to take over. The manor itself was cold and lonely, only a shell of what remained of its former glory.

Aside from himself, there are only a handful of other people staying in the manor. Emma, a young, sweet girl was the first to welcome him. The moment he arrived, she ran up to the doors and handed him a bright, red flower. He found this curious, as if she was expecting his arrival.

"Hi, I'm Emma Woods. Welcome to the manor!" She greeted him with a bright smile. "Oh, and I grew these myself," she said gesturing for him to take the flower, chest puffed out with pride. He gingerly plucked the rose from her hands and shoved it in his pocket, giving the strange girl a non-commital hum in response.

The sound of hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs and a woman in a nurse's outfit arrived. "You're not supposed to be out here Emma! You might open your wounds again." She said in a strict tone, ushering the gardener out of the room.

"But Emily, " Emma whined. "I feel perfectly fine. Besides, I want to make friends with mister right here. We'll be friends right?" She asked him, eyes shining with hope.

He scratched his head, not really knowing what to do. "Uh, sure." He grunted in a rough voice.

Emma gave out a large whoop and left the room, leaving Emily shaking her head after her. Only when she was out of sight did Emily felt it appropriate to speak. "She barely listens to me."

She spoke in a soft, firm voice. "My name is Emily Dyer. Well, uh welcome to the manor I suppose. We were expecting you."

He introduced himself in return, and Emily lead him to his rooms without a word. The silence was suffocating him. A thousand questions were forming in his mind, all of them needing answers.

"So, what's a nurse like you doing up here?" He said hesitantly, a weak attempt at conversation.

"Doctor. " She replied firmly, not bothering to look at him. "I'm a doctor. "

He muttered his apologies, and did not bother to speak again. Before he knew it, they were in front of his assigned quarters.

"Rest up, tomorrow I will tell you everything you need." She shuffled her feet and played with the hem of her shirt, as if embarassed. "Apologies, you just missed dinner so I doubt there's anything left in the kitchen but I could find you some bread. We just had a match yesterday so you won't need to worry about that either. Goodnight. " She spoke in a hurry, and before he could ask what she meant, she shut the door softly.

He laid in his bed, thinking of all the things that could go wrong with his decision to come here. He tried to make sense of the whole situation, but no answers came to his mind. The bread didn't arrive either. So he chose to sleep on an empty stomach, he doesn't have much of an appetite these days anyways.

The next day, all his questions were answered on breakfast. He sat himself beside Emma and Emily, the former chatting excitedly about how she was planning to reconstruct the gardens. He only gave polite nods, not really listening on what she had to say.

Across him sat a man engrossed with the book that he was reading, enclosed in his own world. He shoved spoonfuls of oats in his mouth, eyes never leaving the pages of his book. Shiny gold letters on the back cover read "Property of Kurt Frank".

Two chairs down sat a jittery blonde guy who introduced himself as "Lucky". He smiled shyly and was about to say more when the dining room door opened with a bang.

The man walked in irritably, he was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt, with a red tie looped around his neck. His left hand was tucked in his black pants while the other fixed the glasses on his face. He stomped towards the head of the table and sat down, bruised face scrunched in disgust.

"This day is already _horrendous_!" Naib noticed that his two front teeth are jutting out when he spoke.

"Can somebody tell me why a pathetic, little vermin is even allowed in here?" The mercenary narrowed his eyes, thinking for a moment that he was talking about him.

"Now, he couldn't be as bad as you say mister Riley." Emma spoke softly, unsure whether to speak up or not.

'Riley' let out a huge scoff. "Please Emma, open your eyes! Kreacher will and always be a disgusting little thief. He's a worthless, little coward. He was the reason Servais is still bound to his bed right now. He lost us that match Emma, he is simply _insufferable_!" His beady hazel eyes swept over his green ones, but Riley turned to his food and pretended that he didn't exist which is fine by him.

No one spoke a word after that, and breakfast ended with a sour note. Later he found out that the lawyer's name was Freddy Riley.

Later in the morning sun, Naib listened intently as Emily summarized the rules of the manor for him. Every week, four survivors will be randomly chosen to participate in a match. The hunter will enter the arena in an effort to stop them from escaping. Those who are lucky will receive their rewards, while those who lose are punished.

"It was horrible." Emily whispered. "We hadn't been here for that long either, and I only had to compete twice. But they'd really try to get to you, those hunters. "

According to the doctor, the only way to escape is by winning the death match. It is held once every full moon, where the four best survivors of each month are chosen to participate. The same rules apply, only one thing is different. Those who win gets their wish and freedom, and those who failed are tortured until the hunter sees fit.

"It's not as easy as you think." Emily retorted when he remarked that he could manage that. "You can't escape alone, otherwise you lose as well. You have to escape with at least another person for it to be considered a victory."

"Fine by me. I'm not the type to sacrifice others for my own benefit anyway. "

"You don't have to worry though." The doctor replied after a short amount of silence. "We won't have another match in a week so you could just rest for now."

But he didn't want to rest.

Days flew by and before he knew it, another week had passed. A letter arrived that morning in the parlour, announcing that Freddy, Servais, Emily and Kurt is chosen to be this week's survivors.

"But that's not fair! " Emily cried, reaching out to the magician. "Your ribs have barely healed."

Servais shoved away her hand. "I'm fine Emily. Stop treating me like a frail, old man. "

The day was spent in a blur as the four of them hurried to prepare, rushing out the manor with a bundle of nerves. Naib spent his day alone in his room, polishing his Gurkha blade and counting down the days until he could get out of this place.

It was late that night when they returned. Alarms blared and Naib opened his eyes, he shot out of bed and hurried out the door.

"What's happening? " He yelled to Lucky who happened to pass by.

"The others. They're back!"

He followed Lucky to the mansion's main lobby, where the four had magically reappeared. Emily and a banged up Freddy was assisting Servais back to the infirmary while an unfamiliar woman was holding an ice pack to Kurt's forehead.

She was wearing a beige military uniform, her chestnut brown hair tied up in a curled ponytail.

Her chocolate brown eyes met his. "He's got a concussion. Help me carry him to his rooms please." Her voice was firm, as if used to giving out orders, but at the same time strangely melodic.

He figured that she must be a new guest, and together they heaved the half-conscious explorer back to his quarters.

Her hand was supporting Kurt's weight while the other was holding the ice pack, firmly pressing it on the said man's head. He could hear her grunting in effort as they heaved Kurt up the grand staircase.

"You know miss, if you're tired from your journey I could just get him back to his room myself."

"No. " She said defiantly. "I want to help."

Her determination impressed him, after all not every person would be so willing to help a complete stranger. So he let her. Together they walked in silence, making sure that Kurt reached the safety of his room. Emily arrived shortly, med kit clutched in her hand. And as he watched the doctor do her work, he realized that the worst is over and decided to go back to his quarters. There is still a lot of things he did not understand, but he had a feeling that he would know soon, whether he liked it or not.

He turned to leave but was stopped by the woman in the uniform.

"Hey wait! Stop! " He heard her chase after him.

He raised an eyebrow at her, silently telling her to continue. "I don't want to be a bother you see. " She began, pink lips pursed. "But I wanted to know your name. I just arrived tonight, and I don't know anyone and I don't know what's going on eith-"

"Naib Subedar. " He spoke softly, trying to ease her barely contained panic. He continued hesitantly, "You should rest, and if you want I could brief you about it tomorrow miss..? " He trailed off.

"Behamfil. Martha Behamfil. " She supplied for him recomposing herself in an instant. He could see her fidgeting with something on her left side, and he could see a bronze flare gun glinting in the dim light.

Naib raised an eyebrow at that, but chose not to raise any questions. "Alright Miss Behamfil, rest for now. Let's talk tomorrow. "

She replied with a grateful smile, the moonlight filtering through the bay window, illuminating her figure with a silver glow.


	3. Pratum

"I see." Martha breathed out. Naib had just finished telling her the rules of the manor, and both were perched on a worn down bench. They were surrounded with greenery, heavy and glinting with morning dew. The air was cold in the garden, and their breath came out in small puffs of fog.

Her arrival last night was untimely, and she admitted that she was a bit surprised at how the whole game worked. And in an attempt to help, she stayed up all night helping Emily tend to Kurt and Servais.

She stood up and stretched, yawning like a cat. Her hair fell in waves across her shoulders, and instead of her beige uniform, she was dressed in a plain white shirt tucked in black pants.

"So, " she began slowly, mid-stretch. "When do you think we'll have our chance to participate? "

He watched her as she bent and touched her toes. "I don't know. Survivors are chosen at random." He said, then added as an afterthought. "What on earth are you doing? "

Martha stopped bent over, like a deer caught in headlights. "Ah, sorry. " She replied sheepishly as she straightened up, brushing invisible dirt from her slacks. "I'm just used to having my morning routine, you see."

Naib rolled his eyes. "Well, go do it somewhere else. Don't just start bending over in front of someone. It's.. It's _strange_! "

"The only strange thing here is how you phrased that sentence! " Martha retorted, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. "Besides, there's nothing weird about exercising. All this adrenaline had to go somewhere."

He didn't buy her excuse one bit, he noticed earlier while they were talking that she had looked uncomfortable once the stakes of her stay here had been fully known.

"You're afraid. " Naib said blandly, catching her off guard. He knew, because he does the same thing. When he's anxious, or scared, he won't be able to stay still. The need to do something itching under his skin. He just had to _move_.

Her lips pursed tightly, and after a few seconds she cleared her throat. "So what if I am?" She said indignantly. "I have every right to be. I didn't know this is the kind of situation that awaits me here. "

Naib hummed in thought. He could still remember how it felt being in the war. His heart pounding so loudly as if it would jump out of his chest, the wind knocked out of his lungs by nearby mines exploding.

He was reminded of something his commander had said before his first battle, when they were still green boys eager to get their glory.

"_Freeze even for one second and you're dead._" And so he said just that to Martha.

"_Fear, when it takes root in your heart is almost impossible to remove. It takes hold of you, destroying you_." He quoted darkly.

But Martha just laughed at his face, much to his surprise. "Don't be silly Naib. It's fear that keeps us safe. It's what keeps us human."

"Besides," she continued, a smile playing on her lips. "what do we know? We've never been to a match, even you _Mister-All-Knowing_."

He felt his cheeks heat up, embarassed by her banter. "I've been to war." He retorted in a low voice, but it sounded like something a petulant child would say.

She pointedly ignored him and plucked a white carnation from one of Emma's bushes, mindlessly handing it to him. When he didn't move to take it, she huffed and tossed it at his side.

The once dismal garden is now starting to take shape due to Emma's efforts. Sunlight was streaming through pruned bushes and neatly trimmed vines. Fresh holes are dug in the soil and inside lay carefully placed seedlings; even the flower bushes seemed to have regained their vibrant colors.

"Why are you here? What's the prize that you wanted so bad?"

A part of his mind wondered why she is still bothering to talk to him. He isn't the type to make himself look approachable, in fact he liked to act the opposite and keep to himself. But when Emily offered to give her the rundown of things this morning, she refused and hovered over him like a moth to a lamp.

Martha seemed friendly enough, but he could never tell her his real reason, it just felt too personal. Too close to home. So instead, he uttered "Money." half-hoping she'd leave her alone after that.

She scoffed at that, "Ooh, _so_ sentimental."

He glared at her, arms crossing over his chest, crinkling the dark shirt underneath. "Yeah? Why are you here then? "

Martha's eyes softened, and she replied slowly. "I wanted to be a pilot, but no one would believe in me out there." She had a misty look in her eyes, and her gaze flitted to meet his for a moment. "Well, one person did. Believe in me I mean, but.. He's gone now."

She sighed and sat back down next to him, cradling the rejected carnation in her hands.

Her eyes stayed firmly down, and she sat there still as a statue. The change in her demeanor was so sudden, as if someone had flicked a switch inside.

He fidgeted in his seat not knowing what to say. Naib felt as if he owed it to Martha to make her feel better, even if he had no idea what it was that she found so upsetting. So before he knew what he was doing, the words tumbled out of his mouth. "When I was a young boy, my mother taught me how to bake bread."

Martha looked up at him curiously, doe eyes shining in the light. He continued, "We had this huge clay oven at the back. While I was waiting for it to cook, my friend Kael invited me over to play by the river, and of course I agreed." He chuckled at the memory. "I lost track of time, and by the time my mother went back from the market the bread was burnt as coal. We ended up using it as kindling for grilling fish. She whacked me with a paddle, wouldn't stop scolding me for days. "

She snorted. "You're such an idiot."

"I was a _child_."

Their topic was lighter after that. Naib wouldn't be the type to talk to others first, especially to people he just met. But there was just something about her that made conversing so easy, as if she'd known you for months, not mere hours.

She leaned on the bench, brown eyes watching the clouds roll by. "I used to be a cavalry captain back in the war. Gave it up for my dream, but I got stuck as a flight coordinator instead. Like I said, no one was willing to believe that I could do it. So here I am."

He looked at her, not really surprised. Martha seemed to be the type that could connect to people effortlessly. He could easily see her being a leader, shouting orders on what she deems best, encouraging those who are lacking in heart.

"I was a mercenary for the East India Company." He said hesitantly.

"Really?" She exclaimed, a fascinated look painted on her face. "Wouldn't it be interesting if we've met in the war? "

"Don't be silly Martha. " He mocked, throwing back her words at her. "If that did happen, I doubt that we wouldn't try to attack each other. Would you really want to meet like that?"

She hummed in response, silently plucking the carnation petals one by one. The sunlight filtered through her chestnut hair, turning it into a deep bronze. At last, she spoke, barely a whisper. "Well, then I'm glad we met here instead then."

...

(Author's note: I hope she doesn't seem too forward but Martha seems like a confident woman who is not afraid to get what she want. I also thought she would be an extrovert and someone who's unafraid to voice out her opinion.)


	4. Salvator

The sky was grey and gloomy, and everyone was growing restless. The letter from the manor owner was supposed to arrive two days ago, yet the mail remained mysteriouly empty.

Servais and Freddy have shut themselves in their rooms, appearing only in mealtimes. They rarely see Kreacher as well, and no one really knows where he loiters. Naib half-wished he had never left his room either, because he unwillingly found himself in the parlour having a tea-party.

He groaned and pushed the plate of biscuits towards Martha. "This is stupid. "

"Oh, just humour her." She quipped, sipping from her cup daintily.

The both of them, along with Kurt was herded into the parlour by the cheerful gardener. She claimed that tea will help relax them and soothe their nerves. So with Emily's reluctant help, she managed to procure enough tea and biscuits for five.

"I just think it's unnecessary-"

He trailed off when he saw Lucky by the doorway, crinkled parchment clutched tightly in his hands.

"Guys," the blonde announced in a feeble voice. "It's here. "

That caught everyone's attention. Martha walked over towards Lucky, plucking the letter from his shaking hands. The seal was already broken, and she unfurled the paper to reveal its contents.

"_We cordially invite the following to participate in tomorrow's weekly match:_

_The gardener, Emma Woods_

_The explorer, Kurt Frank-"_

"Why does it always have to be _me_?" Kurt groaned in the background, burying his head in his book.

"-_The mercenary, Naib Subedar and_

_The coordinator, Martha Behamfil."_

Martha's eyes flicked towards his before continuing.

"_Meet at Lakeside Village, 6 P.M._

_A carriage will arrive to take you there._

_Do **NOT** be late. "_

_..._

Naib opened his eyes groggily. The sky was already dark and mist blurred out his vision. The air vibrated with the clicking of hundreds of cicadas, making the pounding in his head worse.

'_Where am I?'_

The place was dismal and damp. Long grass grew everywhere and he could see dilapidated shacks and huts in the distance.

How did he get here? The last thing he remembered was getting into the carriage with the others, and then some kind of gas came out that made his chest hurt, and then..

And then _nothing_.

He needed to find the others. The ground was soft, and his boots left footprints on the mud as he ran. A soft clacking noise reached his ears and Naib could see a long metal rod jutting from the tall grass, a soft glow was emitting from it.

He waded through the thick cornstalks, careful to be silent. What if it was a trap by the hunter? He could see the faint outline of a familiar figure typing away on the cipher, and he stepped out into the open.

"Kurt."

The latter let out a strangled noise, and sparks shot out of the machine.

"My God, Naib. You're going to give me a heart attack. " He hissed.

He raised his hands in surrender, voice dropping in a hush. "Alright, I'm sorry. "

The explorer already turned back on the task at hand. "It's okay, you just spooked me. Hurry up and help, I'm pretty sure the hunter heard that. "

Naib wasn't really sure what to do, so he went to the side of the cipher and alternated between turning the gears and hitting the back.

"Come on... Almost there. " Kurt mumbled.

He tried turning the gears faster, but he found that his hands wouldn't stop shaking. The machine was so loud that it kept distracting him, his thoughts drifting unwillingly back to the war. He was frozen in place, and he struggled to keep moving but his hands were too clammy to be efficient.

Suddenly the lights were on and Kurt got the password from the cipher.

"Come on, hunter's bound to come here soon."

They were stopped in their tracks by a loud scream in the distance.

"You decode, I'll come help her."

Naib didn't wait for Kurt's reply and ran across the fields, vaulting across broken windows and overturned pallets. He could see a huge ship looming in the distance, riddled in holes and rot

For some unknown reason, he could feel his heart beating faster. Naib crouched down and listened with baited breath, not even a minute after, another scream pierced the night.

He crept behind a large barrel, and he caught sight of a slender woman wearing a demon mask. She was moving so smoothly, as if she was gliding on the ground instead of walking. The woman picked up a wriggling form off the ground and tied them up along with a bundle of big, rubber balloons.

He followed her silently, careful not to make any sound and with a sick feeling in his stomach, he realized that the wriggling form attached to the balloons was a bleeding Emma.

"What the hell. " He mumbled under his breath as he watched the demon woman turn by the docks and shove Emma in a chair stocked full with rockets and explosives.

The moment Emma was tied securely, a clock started ticking and Naib knew he had to get to her before time ran out.

He sped towards them, heart racing. The woman in the demon mask must have heard him approaching because she was suddenly facing him, eyes blazing, her war fan aimed to strike. Naib looked at her defiantly, and she covered her face in annoyance.

"Help me!" screamed Emma.

"Yeah, I'm coming!" He dodged another one of the war fan's blows and jumped towards Emma, hastily untying the young girl.

"Come on, hurry!" The both of them ran back into the trees, leaving the demon woman screeching on the shore.

Naib was half-carrying her, but she kept stumbling. "I can't mister. My legs..."

So Naib tended to her hurriedly. He could feel his heartbeat growing faster but his hands remained swift.

"Get out of here." He said after finishing up with the bandages. He could still see the woman's silhouette by the docks, but now it seems as if she was staring directly at him. That's impossible right?

Emma scrambled to her feet, and he turned around to run, but the sudden ringing of bells made him stop in his tracks.

"What the-" In the blink of an eye, the hunter was behind him yet again. She jabbed her fan directly at him and in his surprise, he wasn't able to evade.

Pain bloomed in his shoulders were the blade sunk. _Dammit_.

Naib braced himself and pushed against the walls, speeding into the darkness. Her gleeful laughter echoed into the night, but he forced himself to look back. He won't make the mistake of letting her out of his sight.

He darted in and out of broken walls and windows, but he could still feel her presence and he knew it wouldn't be long before she would be after him again. So even though the wound in his shoulder was throbbing, he pushed himself to dash one more time.

Naib found himself in a little run-down cabin surrounded by tall grass. He vaulted one of the windows and leaned next to a closet. He tried tending to his bleeding wound, but he found that he cannot move his other arm nor tie a bandage on his own, so he sat there trying to drown his whimpers of pain.

A sudden noise outside alerted him, could it be her again? How could she catch up so fast? Footsteps crunched in the grass, and he pried away a loose floorboard waiting for whoever it was to enter through the doorway.

Standing up slowly, he held the board threateningly in his arms.

The figure approached, its features hidden in darkness. "_Christ_ Naib, calm down. It's just me."

"Martha?"

She stepped out of the shadows. Martha was wearing her army uniform again, her flare gun half-raised in defense.

"Sit down. What happened to you?"

Naib obeyed, and Martha tended to his shoulder wound. "Had to save Emma from a rocket chair, then the lady in the demon mask went after me. "

"You mean the Geisha?" Naib raised an eyebrow at her so she continued. "Well, I think she's one. I was decoding on top of the ship you see, and suddenly I felt really nervous so I peeked down. Saw this pretty lady in a red kimono." She dabbed at his wound with a crinkled cloth. "I ducked back down before she can see me though."

"Maybe she has two forms. I could really care less- _shit!_" his shoulder throbbed after she applied too much pressure.

Martha mumbled her apologies, and finished up quickly. "I already managed to decode one, how about you?"

"One as well, Kurt was decoding before I left him so I imagine he'd be long done by now. "

A light blared in the distance.

Martha smiled reassuringly. "Well, I guess that means we only need one more cipher. Come on, we can do this."

...

It wasn't as easy as Martha thought. The two of them reunited with Emma and Kurt along the way, and she insisted that they stay together for safety. Naib reluctantly agreed, arguing that it would be better if they do not camp together in one place, but she insisted.

The moment they popped the last ciper, the hunter reappeared in a flash, red eyes blazing.

Emma was frozen in shock, and the Geisha struck her down in one swift strike, targeting her already injured legs. The former let out a shriek and fell head first on the grass, her legs bent at an awkward angle.

Everything was in chaos. Kurt ran away. Emma was incapacitated. Naib was gone. What is she supposed to do?

Martha crouched down behind a tree and observed the hunter as she tied up Emma. _Where did this sudden burst of strength come from?_

"Open the gates. I'll save her." A voice whispered next to her.

Her whole body tensed, and she forced herself to swallow the lump forming in her throat. "I thought you already left."

"Why would I leave you?" Naib looked confused. "Besides, someone needs to help Emma."

Martha would never admit it to herself, but her heart skipped a beat. "Don't get caught."

He smirked. "Yeah, I won't."

She got up and ran, staying behind trees and walls to avoid the hunter's gaze. The gates loomed in the distance, and she could see a hunched figure typing on the keypad.

"Kurt!"

The raven-haired man flinched, and stopped to turn towards her. "Are you and Naib plotting to kill me with a heart attack?"

"Sheesh. Sorry." She dug her hands in her pockets and fished out the little paper she got from her own cipher. "Here, input my password. I'll guard you."

Kurt took the paper from her and started typing it in. Martha looked out in the distance, her hands playing with the flare gun on her side. Emma was no longer in the chair, and she could see Naib's silhoutte on top of the ship.

"_No_, what are you doing." Her breath hitched as she watched him vault the top of the ship, dropping down in the ground with a dull thud.

_Get up Naib._

It was a few seconds before he pushed himself off the ground, and she could only sigh in relief.

"Yes!" Kurt cheered as the exit powered up, the gates opening with a low groan.

"Great, stay here and guard the exit. I'll go help them." Kurt opened his mouth to protest, but she was already running.

She found Emma by the shore, head held tightly in her hands. "Hey, let me help you."

The gardener mumbled her thanks, face pale from blood loss. She was halfway through bandaging Emma's legs, when Naib yelled a warning.

"Watch out!"

She instinctively rolled to the side, barely avoiding the geisha's sharp blade. She came out of nowhere, _how does she keep doing that?_

The hunter turned her back towards her, and walked over to Emma tying her up in balloons again. The gardener struggled, but to no avail. "No, please!"

She gripped her flaregun and focused her steely gaze towards the hunter. "Hey! Let her go!"

The hunter turned her head towards her, amused. Then before it could realize what she was doing, she pulled the trigger.

The flare hit the geisha square in the chest and she let out a loud angry wail. The hunter fanned the air around her in an effort to get rid of the pink smoke, dropping Emma in the process.

Emma was already trying to crawl away, her leg completely giving up on her. Martha tried to reach her, tried to help; but the geisha was already back, pink dust falling off of her petite form.

"_I'll get you next_." Her voice was soft and fragile, but it still sent chills down her spine.

The geisha grabbed Emma by the leg and started dragging her towards a rocket chair.

"Stop it! You're hurting her." But the hunter didn't listen.

"I'll be fine." Emma croaked out. "I'll meet you at the manor. Please, just _go_."

Martha ran behind them, the hunter was moving so quickly and she could barely catch up. "I'm not leaving you."

But she wasn't quick enough, the geisha already found a rocket chair near the bottom of the ship. Everything happened so fast, the chair ignited in sparks and before she could process what was happening it was already flying towards the sky, taking the screaming gardener away with it.

Her heart sunk as she watched it disappear into the distance. She tried to run back towards the gates, but in the split second that she looked away the geisha suddenly reappeared behind her, blade poised to strike.

She closed her eyes, expecting to feel the cold metal on her back; but instead she felt a heavy weight tackle her to the ground.

"I _told_ you. Don't let her out of your sight." Naib said in a gruff voice, and she could see the blood seeping out of the large gash on his back.

He saved her. He was injured because of her. Guilt sure was a nasty feeling.

The geisha was still laughing gleefully, so she helped Naib stand up.

"Come on, let's go." Together they ran towards the gate, and this time she didn't make the mistake of looking away from her.

They reached the gate when Naib suddenly collapsed.

"Hey, you alright?" He didn't reply. She tried hauling him to his feet, but she was too weak to support his weight.

Kurt popped out from behind of the gate's walls.

"What happened? Where's Emma?"

Martha swallowed thickly. "We couldn't save her. _Please_, help me with Naib."

"I'm fine.. Just get out." Naib mumbled, trying to crawl forward.

"You're _not_ fine! " She replied firmly, taking one of his arms to push him forward while Kurt took the other. "Come on, hurry here she comes."

"I'm trying!" Kurt exclaimed. They were two feet away from the exit.

All of their heartbeats quickened at her approach, everything happened in a blur. The geisha dashed at them, but Martha couldn't understand what was happening. There was blood, and she could hear someone calling her name. Then darkness.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to update. I was really sick for almost two weeks, and once I recovered I had a whole bunch of school work to catch up on. I hope you guys liked this chapter uwu 3


	5. Bed-bound

Everything felt so calm at the moment. Martha had never felt so light, as if all of the weight that she was carrying her whole life was lifted away.

The sun's warmth seeped through her soul, and the soft breeze tickled her skin. It reminded her of the summers she would spend by the beach as a child, she was never allowed to explore too far, but she enjoyed lying down in the sand while the cool sea breeze wash over her. Martha's eyes fluttered close in bliss, it felt like she was floating. No, _flying_.

Putting her arm forward, as if in a dive, she began gliding through the azure sky. It was amazing, she's finally doing it. She was _flying!_ Her mother always told her she couldn't, if only she could see her now. It was all she could ever wish for, so why is it that suddenly everything felt so wrong?

Martha stilled in her movements, trying to listen, trying to figure out what was wrong. White noise softly hummed in the background, and shadows started to form in the corner of her eyes but whenever she tried to look, they would disappear.

She knew something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Trying her best to stamp out her growing panic, she tried to move, but her limbs failed her.

Martha looked at her arms in horror. It was flapping about uselessly. All of the bones and meat in her body seemed to have been pulled out, and replaced with white stuffing. She tried to scream, but she found that her mouth was sewn shut as well.

Voices started to fill her head, laughing and whispering things that she can't make out.

_What's happening?_

The sun continued to glare. She was sweating bullets. Is it just her or is it getting warmer?

"...rt.. A.. "

A sharp pull made her realize she wasn't floating. She was falling. She tried in vain to scream for help, to hold onto something. Anything.

_Someone help._

"M... rt.. a. "

It was so bright. It felt as if a supernova was exploding in front of her very eyes, and she was forced to watch it in slow-motion. The light blinded her, the heat melting her skin.

"Martha!"

Her eyes snapped open, only for her to close them again in pain. Why is it so bright? Sunlight streamed through the window next to her bed and Martha shut her eyes tight, red burning beneath her eyelids. She was still catching her breath, scenes from her nightmare still replaying on her mind but the details seemed muddy now; less real.

"Bloody hell.. Someone get- the _curtains_." She was struggling to speak. Her throat felt dry and scratchy, but she managed to croak out the words at least.

She heard soft footsteps and the rustling of thick cloth before darkness befell the room.

Her eyes struggled to adjust in the sudden dimness but despite that, she could recognize the room as her own quarters. It was considered a small relief. The room was fairly small, consisting only of a bed, an ornate dresser, and a wooden nightstand. But in the few weeks that she had spent here, she considered this room as her safe space, her sanctuary.

The other person in the room still hadn't spoken a word, and for a moment she could have sworn she saw blue eyes glinting in the dim light.

"Hey, wha-" A gasp escaped her lips when she tried to sit up. The pain that bloomed across her body was so sudden that she was forced to lie back down. The sensation felt like someone punched her in the chest, but multiplied a hundred-fold. Martha tried to breath, but her chest constricted painfully with every sharp intake of air.

"Don't." Her eyesight was still blurry, and black spots seared her vision, but she recognized the voice as Emily's. _Of course._ "Just rest."

Martha tried to speak, questions struggle to escape her lips but she found that her voice have failed her. Emily wordlessly handed her a glass of water which she drank greedily in turn.

She lookeed down at the empty glass in her hands and tried to recall the events of that night, but her mind keeps drawing a blank.

"What happened?" she asked in a mere whisper.

Emily continued to observe her, and Martha wasn't sure if she liked the look in her eyes or not. After what seemed like a whole minute, Emily broke off her gaze with a sigh.

"I don't know." She replied. "But you arrived here with a huge gash on your chest. You're just lucky it wasn't deep enough to be fatal."

"I.. How long was I out? "

"Around three days. "

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She couldn't have been knocked out for three days. _Right?_

Emily's voice broke her out of her reverie. "I'll be back later to change your bandage. I left some food and painkillers on your nightstand. You may rest for now."

Before the doctor could walk out of the door, she decided to ask the question that's been bothering her since she woke up. "Emily wait! How's Emma? "

Emily stopped in her tracks and turned back with a blank look on her face. Her mouth opened for a fraction, as if debating with herself whether she should talk or not; but the doctor remained silent, and within seconds she was gone.

That didn't sit well with her.

But she had more pressing concerns to tackle at the moment. With shaking fingers, Martha hastily unbuttoned her shirt, intent to see her wounds. Her chest up until her upper abdomen was bound tightly in fresh bandages.

A shaky breath escaped her lips. How did this even happen?

Then she remembered. The Geisha reappeared while they were trying to get Naib out. The hunter was enraged, arms raised to strike and without missing a beat Martha threw herself in front of them, shielding the two from her attacks. But what happened after that? All she could remember was someone yelling her name. Did she manage to get out? Or was she put in a rocket chair and could not remember?

* * *

That night Kurt came to see her and retold what happened in an animated fashion. "You should've seen her reaction! She was so angry, pounding on that barrier."

It turned out that Kurt and Naib managed to slip past the exit, and the Geisha's attack was so powerful it sent her flying past it as well.

An embarassed look washed over Kurt's face. "Thank you... for shielding us like that. But you didn't need to-"

"Of course I do." She interrupted softly. "I couldn't just sit back and watch you get hurt."

"Well, Naib was mighty pissed. Said you were being stupid."

Anger coursed through her veins. How _dare_ he? She just wanted to help! Would he rather have her leave him behind? "Well, tell him that once I'm well enough to get out of bed, he could expect me to come over and kick his bloody arse!"

Kurt chuckled, taking away the left-overs from the dinner he brought her. "I'd love to see that. Oh, and before I forget, " He reached into his pant pocket and pulled out a slightly wrinkled piece of paper. "He wants me to give this to you."

"Who?" She asked, but she had a feeling that she already knows who it could be.

Kurt just gave a nonchalant shrug and left through the door, closing it softly behind him.

She opened the note and read it through the lamp's soft glow.

"_Behamfil,_

_You're a reckless idiot. You should have just left me like I told you to do._

__

_<strike>I just wished you had listened, then you wouldn't have been hurt and confined to bed right now.</strike>_

_ Get well soon._

_-Naib"_

It was obvious that he crossed out a couple of words, but if she tried hard enough she could still read what it says. Martha couldn't help the smile that appreared on her lips.

_You can try to hide the fact that yoy care, but that doesn't mean you'll succeed._

* * *

_**A/N: Hi there! So I originally started this story with being a one-shot compilation in mind. But I wanted to do a few chapters first that will establish how Naib and Martha came to the manor and have them forge a bit of a bond first. I never meant for this story to be sequential. (Okay, maybe it will still be. If only for a little bit.) It will still be a slow-burn but I will just do scenes that comes to mind. I can also do requests. Just comment if you have anything in mind.****ALSO, in this story Martha is 20 and Naib is 25. Hope you're enjoying this story hehe.**_


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